Finish Line

Chronic stressors wear us out because our adrenaline and cortisol never get to drop. The snake hangs out in our office, and we have to work with it, be criticized by it and then hope it doesn’t bite us. Its presence doesn’t allow us to put our guard down and truly ever relax, so we constantly feel keyed up.

Jet lag stinks. It has to be one of the most annoying collections of physical ailments a person has to endure in order to function in another time zone. To get through this uncomfortable and highly unproductive adjustment period, sports teams and business travelers can benefit from a magnesium supplement.

Chronic stress is hard on the heart. Physiologically what happens when we feel stressed is that cortisol is produced. Cortisol helps the body with the fight or flight response by releasing sugar into the blood stream, to provide us with immediate energy. It also suppresses less vital functions such as the digestive system and reproductive system, so the body can focus all its attention and energy on getting us out of danger.

I love to sleep. Unfortunately, I rarely get enough. If you’re like me, the job, the children, the household duties and everything in-between cuts into your sacred time for rejuvenation. To add insult to injury, as we age, sleep becomes even more elusive. The days of being a 10-year-old who could fall dead asleep in five minutes and wake up totally refreshed nine hours later are gone.

Welcome to Finish Line, the column that will provide you with useful advice on how to improve your game in the boardroom or on the playing field. My goal is to provide you with unique information about the mind and body that will help you perform better in the game of life.

It takes only two days of poor sleep to feel the effects of sleep deprivation, including feeling physically drained and being slow to process information.